The Gospel and Me: God’s Plan to Save Me

From August to October of 2010, thirty-three Chilean miners found themselves buried over 2,300 feet underground.  At first, they were feared dead.  Sixty-nine days later, with the world watching, they were rescued.  I’m sure that in the midst of their struggle, many of these men felt helpless, and their helplessness had to produce a certain amount of hopelessness.  Helplessness and hopelessness.  That has to be the feeling one has when buried alive.

Helpless and hopeless.  That’s our plight too.  When we are apart from Christ, we are helpless and hopeless in our sin.  Fortunately, there’s some good news.  There’s the gospel.  God has a plan to rescue us.  He has provided salvation.

“Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:19-20, ESV).

Our problem is simple (Romans 3:19-20).  We are all sinners and stand guilty before God.  The opening chapters of Romans clearly presents this.  As Paul moves into chapter three, he continues to stress that none of us are righteous.  We want nothing to do with God or His ways (Romans 3:9-11).  We cannot deny that we are sinners.  Our culture wants to redefine sin.  Sin is such a harsh world.  Let’s just label it something else.  Let’s use terms like ”mistakes” or “errors in judgment,” (for a great presentation of this, see Jerry Bridges new book The Transforming Power of the Gospel).  We must remember that sin is sin.  Five plus three equals nine is a mistake.  Driving too fast on an icy road is an error in judgment.  Sin is a violation against God and His standards

Our proplem is further compounded because our religious efforts cannot save us.  Our religious sentiments and activities cannot make us right with God.  The Jews turned to the law as a means of salvation.  They trusted their heritage and their ability to keep the rules, despite the obvious fact that they could not keep the rules.  Many of us do the same thing.  We trust that we are born into a “Christian nation” or we “believe in God” or we go to church.  We trust our denominational labels and our religious rituals.  We believe our church attendance and our pseudo-morality can make us stand approved in the presence of God.  The harsh reality is that they cannot.

Thankfully, there is the gospel.  There is some “good news.”

“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.  It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:21-26, ESV).

God’s solution is the provision of salvation – the gospel (Romans 3:21-26).  Paul gives us several characteristics of the salvation God offers.  First, he tells us it is apart from the law.  The law points out our need.  It clearly demonstrates our sin and shortcomings.  It cannot, however, save us.  It identifies our problem, but it cannot solve it.

Second, it is through faith in Jesus.  We’ve already established we can’t work for our salvation. Rather, we must trust in the person and provision of Jesus.  We rest in Him.  When my daughter was little, she would ride on my shoulders.  Sometimes she would hang on, but her strength did not keep her in place.  She had to rely on me.

Third, salvation is by His grace as a gift.  We do not earn salvation.  God gives it (Titus 3:4-7).

Finally, God’s provision is through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.  A gift is free to the recipient, but it cost the giver.  Jesus paid for the salvation given to us.  Redemption is a term used to describe the purchasing of a slave.  It speaks to the fact that we have been purchased and set free.  Jesus gave Himself as our payment (1 Peter 1:18-19).

Jesus our propitiation.  He fulfilled God’s righteous demands and satisfied His wrath towards sin.  This demonstrated God’s righteousness  Thus, God is the just and the justifier. Sin has been dealt with.

Since God provides this, we have no room to boast.

“Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith.  For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.  Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.  Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law” (Romans 3:27-31, ESV).

That’s why Paul would only boast in the cross (Galatians 6:14).  He clearly explains that we are not saved by our works

Some say “well, I’m glad that works for you, but I have my own way to God.”  Paul would disagree.  He says there’s only one God.  There’s not different gods for different people.  Since there is one God, there is only one way to that God.  That way is through God’s provision of salvation through Jesus.

What then do we do with the law?  Do we just walk away from the moral guidelines God provides?  No.  Paul says we have no right to throw out the law.  The law is fulfilled by Christ.  In Him, we are justified.  Thus, we uphold it.  We do not uphold it to earn salvation, but because God has given us salvation.

That’s some good news.  That’s the gospel.  That’s God’s plan to save us.

The Church We Want to Be

This past Sunday, our church talked about our goals for 2012 and explored the church we want to be this year (and hopefully in the years that follow).  We rooted much of our discussion in the epistles of Paul and his words of prayer and thanksgiving for the churches with which he ministered.  With that said, this is the church we want to be:

We want to be a place of mutual encouragement

always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.  For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. (Romans 1:10-12, ESV)

We want to be a place that partners in the gospel

because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. (Philippians 1:5, ESV)

We want to be a people who grow in our knowledge of God and His Word

I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.  And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. (Ephesians 1:16-23, ESV)

We want to be a people who walk worthy of the Lord

so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. (Colossians 1:10, ESV)

We want to be a people who are good stewards of God’s gifts

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (1 Peter 4:10-11, ESV)

We want to be a people who honor God in all things (1 Peter 4:10-11)

The Beginning

The story of redemption begins with the story of creation. In it, we read that God created a perfect place in which he set two people. Those two people had the best of everything, but succumbed to temptation and sinned against God. When they did, they plunged themselves and all the rest of creation into the chaos and corruption of sin, and that sin had a lasting impact on all of humanity.  It led to a murder, a flood, and a scattering of people because of pride.  Yet through it all, God demonstrates that He is a God of grace and mercy.  In Genesis 1-11, we are reminded that:

1. God is the creator of all things (Genesis 1-2)
2. The fall of mankind brings sin and corruption (Genesis 3)
3. Sin has a lasting impact (Genesis 4-11)

In the New Testament, Paul tells us that the sin and corruption caused by the fall has a remedy.  He writes:

¹² Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— ¹³ for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. ¹⁴ Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. ¹⁵ But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. ¹⁶ And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. ¹⁷ For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. ¹⁹ For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:12-19, ESV)

We can be thankful that God is a God of grace and mercy.  He has kept His promise (Genesis 3:15) and provided One who has destroyed the evil one (Hebrews 2:14), and delivered us from sin.

Some Questions about Bible Sales

A couple of things stuck me as I read some recent sales figures from CBA online.  One is that the HCSB is really lagging in sales.  Just a few months ago, it was a steady number five or number six on the top ten lists.  Now, it is barely on the list.  I wonder how the release of the HCSB Study Bible will help those figures?

Second, I was stunned at the absence of the ESV MacArthur Study Bible from the Specialty Bibles list.  I know that MacArthur is not everyone’s cup of tea, but I really thought this edition would sell well.  I imagine any number of factors could be at work here.  For one, it seems like the edition has been slow hitting the stores, and the CBA only measures in-store sales.  Second, a number of people already own the MSB in other translations and were hesitant to pick up a new one.  Third, if I’m not mistaken, Grace to You did a massive give away of the hardback.  Finally, I imagine that the MSB appeals to the much of the same audience as the ESV Study Bible, and perhaps many simply feel one study Bible in the ESV is sufficient.  Time will tell.

Overcoming Tunnel-Vision

It’s easy for us to develop tunnel-vision.  The challenge is to always be willing to let God expand our field of vision, particularly when it comes to sharing the gospel.  In the days between His resurrection and His ascension, Jesus instructed the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the coming of the Holy Spirit.  After hearing His instructions, the disciples wondered aloud, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel” (Acts 1:6, ESV) ?  Jesus reminds them that scheduling is not their responsibility and tells them, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8. ESV).

It’s interesting to note that their question centered on the nation of Israel.  Jesus’ answer centered on the world.  He empowered them, and us, to take the gospel to every corner of our world.  We need to be on guard against developing tunnel-vision.  We need to reach out with the message of the gospel to more than just the usual suspects.  Jesus is bigger than our group of friends and the people who look and act like us.  He calls us to be witnesses to all people.  He empowers us to do so.  Let’s look beyond the sliver we see through our narrow focus and strive to carry the hope of Jesus to all who need it.

Reputation and Reality

Superficial faith is a dangerous thing.  As Jesus confronts the church in Sardis, He reminds them that He is aware of their true spiritual condition.  He says, “I know your works; you have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead” (Revelation 3:1, HCSB).  He then proceeds to offer them a remedy for their spiritual lethargy.  He gives them five commands to follow in order to address the shortcomings in their faith.

The first is to be alert (Revelation 3:2).  To be alert, or to be watchful, is to pay attention to their spiritual condition.  The city of Sardis was twice conquered because of inattentive guards.  Alertness would resonate with the people of that city.  Jesus wants them to apply their watchfulness to their spiritual walks.  We too need to be mindful of our true condition.

Second, He says to strengthen the embers of their faith (Revelation 3:2).  They needed to once again fan the flames of their faith and renew their passion and commitment.  We need to build upon the things we have gotten right.

The third is to remember what had been invested in them.  He wanted them to recall the spiritual deposits that had been poured into their lives.  We too often need to look back on the things that have been entrusted to us.

Fourth, once they recall what they had learned, He challenges them to keep those things.  Literally, He says to keep on keeping those things.  You and I need to cling to the truths we have learned.  We need to live those out every day.

 Finally, Jesus tells them they need to repent.  In other words, they needed to return and go the direction God wanted them to go.  We need to stop going our own direction and return to God.  A superficial faith is one that demands its own way.  A saving faith yields to Jesus.

The church in Sardis demonstrated a superficial faith.  They had a reputation, but they lacked a reality.  Many who profess to be Christians today suffer from the same delusion.  May our reputation, and our reality, truly honor the Lord in all we do.

God is a Remarkable God

The older I get, the more amazed I am by who God is and what He has done.  He is truly a remarkable God. 

In the book of Revelation we read,

“John:  To the seven churches in Asia. Grace and peace to you from the One who is, who was, and who is coming; from the seven spirits before His throne; and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the kings of the earth.  To Him who loves us and has set us free from our sins by His blood, and made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—the glory and dominion are His forever and ever.  Amen.” (Revelation 1:4-6, HCSB).

In this paragraph, we are reminded who God is.  John puts forth that God is a triune God.  He is the Eternal Father (the One who is, who was, and who is coming), He is the Holy Spirit (the seven spirits before His throne), and He is Jesus the Son (Jesus Christ…).  Since Jesus is the central figure of the book of Revelation, His work is expaned a little more than the other persons of the Trinity.  He is identified as the faithful witness.  In other words, His words and testimony are sure.  Furthermore, He is the firstborn from the dead.  Jesus is our resurrected Savior.  He is alive, and since He has been resurrected, He offers us hope that the grave is not our final resting place.  The Apostle Paul echoes this idea when he writes, “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20, HCSB).  Finally, Jesus is also described as the ruler of the kings of the earth.  One day, all of those who sit in the halls of power will bend a knee to Jesus (Philippians 2:10-11).

We are also reminded What God does.  John tells us that Jesus loves us.  Jesus said, “As the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you. Remain in My love” (John 15:9, HCSB).  Not only does He love us, and He has set us free from our sins by His blood.  The death of Jesus has delivered us from both the power and the penalty of sin.  Paul writes,

“For we know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that sin’s dominion over the body may be abolished, so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, since a person who has died is freed from sin’s claims” (Romans 6:6-7, HCSB)

 ”Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus, because the Spirit’s law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death” (Romans 8:1-2, HCSB).

God secured our freedom be sending Jesus to die in our place.  He paid our debt.  The Bible says, “For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life inherited from the fathers, not with perishable things like silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish” (1 Peter 1:18-19, HCSB).

Finally, Jesus has made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father.  As Israel was called to be a kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:6), so are we who have place our faith in Jesus.  Peter says, ”But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9, HCSB).  Priests may do any number of things, but let’s highlight two.  For one, priests have access to God.  Through Jesus, you and I can enter God’s presence with confidence and find what we need when we need it (Hebrews 4:16).  Second, priests serve God.  We need to be busy ministering on behalf of the God who loves us and has set us free.  Let’s serve Him with a reckless abandon and an all-out passion.  What a remarkable God we serve!

From Suffering Sacrifice to Risen Redeemer

In a world where we are constantly bombarded with bad news, wouldn’t it be great to hear some good news?  Well, the gospel is good news.  At its simplest, the gospel is the story of who Jesus is, and what Jesus has done.

What exactly did Jesus do?  He forsook the glory of Heaven and came to earth in the form of a man (Philippians 2:5-11).  He lived a sinless life in complete obedience to His Heavenly Father (Hebrews 4:14).  All of this was part of God’s plan to redeem a creation gone astray.  The Apostle Paul reminds the Corinthian believers about the message of the gospel.  He writes,

^“Now brothers, I want to clarify for you the gospel I proclaimed to you; you received it and have taken your stand on it.  You are also saved by it, if you hold to the message I proclaimed to you—unless you believed for no purpose.  For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.   Then He appeared to over 500 brothers at one time; most of them are still alive, but some have fallen asleep.  Then He appeared to James, then to all the apostles.  Last of all, as to one abnormally born, He also appeared to me” (1 Corinthians 15:1-8, HCSB).  

Paul’s words remind us that Jesus died for our sin.  In other words, He is our suffering sacrifice. 

When we begin looking into the gospel accounts of Jesus’ last day, we see that He was tragically tried by both the Jewish religious courts and the Roman civil courts.  The regional Roman governor ultimately condemned Him to die. As a part of that sentence, Jesus was brutally beaten by professional Roman executioners (Matthew 27:26).  In addition,  He was mercilessly mocked.  The Jews spit in his face and mocked Him (Matthew 26:66-67).  The Romans hit Him with reeds and made Him a crown of thorns (Matthew 27:27-31), all the while deriding Him.  Finally, He was criminally crucified  (Matthew 27:32-56).  Hanging between two criminals, Jesus continued to be mocked and scoffed at.  He suffered both the brutality of the crucifixion and the agony of isolation.

Why would He endure this?  Love.  The Bible says, ”Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10, HCSB).  In His great love for us, God sent us son to pay for our sin.  We understand from the Scripture that all of us are sinners separated from God (Romans 3:23).  Yet, Christ became sin in our place and paid our debt (1 Peter 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 3:13). 

In addition to paying the penalty for our sin, Christ also breaks the power of sin.  The Bible says,

“Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus, because the Spirit’s law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. What the law could not do since it was limited by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending His own Son in flesh like ours under sin’s domain, and as a sin offering, in order that the law’s requirement would be accomplished in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:1-4, HCSB).

Charles Wesley says it well in the classic hymn when he says, “He breaks the power of canceled sin, He sets the prisoner free.”

The gospel, however, is more than a message of death.  It’s also one of life.  Paul tells us that Jesus rose again, or that He is our risen redeemer.  He lists a litany of people who saw the resurrected savior.  The list includes apostles, large crowds, and even Paul himself.

The gospel of Matthew gives us the facts.  It tells us that Jesus was buried in a borrowed tomb (Matthew 27:57-61) secured by Roman soldiers.  Then, He was triumphantly resurrected.  The Bible says,

“After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb.  Suddenly there was a violent earthquake, because an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and approached the tomb.  He rolled back the stone and was sitting on it.  His appearance was like lightning, and his robe was as white as snow.  The guards were so shaken from fear of him that they became like dead men.  But the angel told the women, “Don’t be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here! For He has been resurrected, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay.  Then go quickly and tell His disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead.  In fact, He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see Him there.’ Listen, I have told you.”  So, departing quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, they ran to tell His disciples the news.  Just then Jesus met them and said, “Good morning!”  They came up, took hold of His feet, and worshiped Him.  Then Jesus told them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell My brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see Me there” (Matthew 28:1-10, HCSB).

The resurrection changes our lives. 

It offers us the promise of the resurrection - ”Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say, “There is no resurrection of the dead”?  But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised” (1 Corinthians 15:12-13, HCSB).

It gives substance to our faith – “But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is without foundation, and so is your faith.  In addition, we are found to be false witnesses about God, because we have testified about God that He raised up Christ—whom He did not raise up if in fact the dead are not raised.  For if the dead are not raised, Christ has not been raised” (1 Corinthians 15:13-16, HCSB)

It secures the forgiveness of sin - ”And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17, HCSB).  Paul echoes this theme to the Romans when he writes, “He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification” (Romans 4:25, HCSB).

It promises us more than this present life – “If we have put our hope in Christ for this life only, we should be pitied more than anyone” (1 Corinthians 15:19, HCSB). 

Christ died and rose again to set us free from the power and condemnation of sin.  Subsequently, we should live changed lives.  Paul writes,

“For we know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that sin’s dominion over the body may be abolished, so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, since a person who has died is freed from sin’s claims.  Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him, because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again.  Death no longer rules over Him.  For in light of the fact that He died, He died to sin once for all; but in light of the fact that He lives, He lives to God.  So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.  Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires.  And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness.  But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness.  For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under law but under grace“ (Romans 6:6-14, HCSB).

Christ gave His all to set us free.  Let’s live in the freedom He provides.

Yahweh in the HCSB

One of the features of the upcoming second edition of the Holman Christian Standard Bible is its use of the word Yahweh.  In the current version, the word is used about seventy-five times.  The second edition contains over 1,000 appearances.  Almost all other mainline translations use the term “LORD.”  I love the HCSB, and I use it as my primary teaching translation.  And, I’m not sure the best way to translate the Hebrew word for the covenant name of God (although Yahweh does seem the most “literal”).  At first glance, I liked the use of the term.  Upon further reflection, however, I do wonder about using a term over 1,000 times that no Hebrew would ever pronounce aloud.  Not a criticism.  Just a thought.

Remembering What God Has Done

It’s easy for us to forget all the things God does for us.  That’s why it’s important to erect some memorials.  As the children of Israel prepared to enter the Promised Land, their leader Joshua gave them some special instructions.  The Bible says,

“So Joshua summoned the 12 men he had selected from the Israelites, one man for each tribe, and said to them, “Go across to the ark of the LORD your God in the middle of the Jordan.  Each of you lift a stone onto his shoulder, one for each of the Israelite tribes, so that this will be a sign among you.  In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’  you should tell them, ‘The waters of the Jordan were cut off in front of the ark of the LORD’s covenant.  When it crossed the Jordan, the Jordan’s waters were cut off. ’ Therefore these stones will always be a memorial for the Israelites” (Joshua 4:4-7, HCSB).

The Israelites were to construct a simple stone memorial so that subsequent generations would never forget what the Lord had done for them.  He had delivered them from Egypt.  He had carried them through the wilderness.  He had enabled them to cross the Jordan River.  And soon, He would give them the Promised Land.  The people of Israel had to remember what God had done for them.

We also must strive to remember what God has done for us.  He has given us His one and only son (John 3:16).  He has redeemed us and forgives our sin (1 Peter 1:18-19).  He strengthens and enables us to live for Him (Philippians 4:13).  He works in our and we must not forget what He has done.  Paul echoes this sentiment when he challenges the Ephesians to remember what the were like before God touched their lives and then to recall the blessings He has availed to them through Christ (Ephesians 2:11-22).  Let’s strive to always remember what God has done.  Let’s leave a memorial to point subsequent generations to the God who has changed us.